(3 Minutes Read)
Wim Vanhelleputte, CEO of Safaricom Ethiopia, urged equal access to telecommunications networks to enable customers to utilize both Safaricom and Ethio telecom networks without exclusion.
Executives of Safaricom Telecommunications Ethiopia Plc have called for government support in ensuring equal access to open platforms. It has criticized incongruent tariffs on phone services provided by competitor Ethio Telecom.
During a visit to Safaricom headquarters this week, members of the parliamentary committee for Democracy Affairs heard CEO Wim Vanhelleputte, CEO of Safaricom Ethiopia, advocate for equal access to telecommunications networks, urging that all customers should be able to utilize both Safaricom and Ethio telecom networks without exclusion.
Safaricom’s recently appointed Chief External Affairs Officer, Andualem Admassie, noted issues with off-net and on-net parity with Ethio Telecom. The state-owned operator’s customers are charged extra when making phone calls to a number in the Safaricom network, while Safaricom has a fixed charge regardless of network.
Safaricom execs see this limitation as hindering the potential for seamless financial transactions, highlighting the need for collaboration between the two networks to enhance digital financial inclusion in the country.
This absence of interoperability raises concerns about accessibility and convenience in an evolving digital economy, according to Vanhelleputte, adding that segments of the market are under a monopoly.
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Safaricom Ethiopia has garnered 6.1 million 90-day active registered customers since it began operations in 2021. The firm’s network, consisting of 3,000 sites, can cover 46 percent of the population.
